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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · 1d

A great opportunity for experienced amateur astronomers in Europe to help refine the orbital ephemerides for Ganymede, and so help ESA’s mission to the icy Jovian moons.

Anyone in the UK going to try it?

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 1d

On the night of 13-14 October, Jupiter's moon #Ganymede will pass in front of star HIP37442.

Observing this occultation pinpoints Ganymede's position even more precisely, helping our Juice mission reach its target.

Can you help?

Details from @obs-paris-psl.bsky.social 👉 bit.ly/4hcPguB

Illustration of the Juice spacecraft seen in space, at Jupiter. Text reads 'Juice needs you'.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · 5d

Summer skies giving way to autumn as the the Great Cygnus Rift and the Milky Way dip toward the western horizon. Taken a few nights ago from Dartmoor National Park in Devon. #astrophotography

A photograph of a star filled sky over a silhouetted treeline. The trees fill the bottom third of the frame while above them the diffuse band on the Milky Way meanders through the star flecked background. A dark weaving band appears within the Milky Way - these are the dust clouds of the Great Cygnus Rift.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · 9d

☀️🛰️ Last week the NASA IMAP mission launched to study the heliosphere & make crucial space weather measurements.

But did you know one of the key science instruments on board was developed & built in the UK with @ukspaceagency.bsky.social funding?

Find out more at: www.gov.uk/government/n...

An artist’s impression of the IMAP mission against a stylised backdrop depicting the heliosphere as a bubble on a starry purple background with the orbits of the planets at centre. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Princeton University/Steve Gribben.

A photograph of the IMAP spacecraft and the MAG magnetometer in the clean room. The spacecraft is wrapped in various insulating/protective fabrics on the left of frame in a brightly lit, white-walled space. The MAG instrument extends from the side of the spacecraft across much of the centre and left hand side of the frame. An engineer sits working in a protective white suit at the bottom of the frame. Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins/Princeton/Ed Whitman

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Reposted by Will Gater

ESA Operations @operations.esa.int · 15d

🌔 Every day, Earth is bombarded by tiny asteroids, most too small to even be detected. But what if we could study those impacting the Moon?

ESA's NELIOTA-III #HorizonEurope project closely monitors Moon impact flashes and just released its first observations.

www.esa.int/Space_Safety...

ESA’s new project to keep an eye on Moon strikes

Every day, Earth is bombarded by tiny asteroids and meteoroids, most too small to even be detected. But what if we could study these space rocks by watching their impacts on the Moon? A new ESA projec...

www.esa.int

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Reposted by Will Gater

UK Space Agency @ukspaceagency.bsky.social · 23d

With £1.5 million of funding from us, 6 innovative projects will use satellite technology and AI to deliver real-world impact across a range of Britain's sectors. 🛰️🚅🌱

We're bringing the benefits of space down to Earth. 🌍🔭

👉 www.gov.uk/government/n...

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Reposted by Will Gater

Simeon Schmauß @stim3on.bsky.social · 25d

The sun was just 10 degrees above the horizon when NASA's Perseverance rover captured this morning view of Nili Planum yesterday. The rim of Jezero crater is casting a long shadow over the rover and foreground landscape. 🔭

Full res: flic.kr/p/2rt54pJ

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Simeon Schmauß

The morning sun shines it's first rays over the Nili Planum region on Mars revealing small hills with sand ripples in between. The wall of Jezero crater behind the camera casts a long shadow that stretches over the foreground and the rover itself.

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Reposted by Will Gater

UK Space Agency @ukspaceagency.bsky.social · 27d

Plato has arrived!

ESA's planet-hunting spacecraft has safely arrived at ESTEC, where engineers will attach its solar panels and sunshield before running critical tests to ensure everything's ready for launch. 🚀

ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · 27d

Welcome, Plato! 🤗

On 1 September, the spacecraft arrived in the Netherlands by boat from Germany via the Rhine River.

In the coming weeks, engineers will add the sunshield & solar arrays and carry out tests to confirm Plato is ready for launch 🚀
www.esa.int/Science_Expl...

🔭 #Exoplanets

A large cargo ship named VAARWEL, painted in blue and white, is sailing through a canal. The ship has a flag at its front and is passing under an open drawbridge in the background. The canal is lined with trees on both sides, and the sky above is bright blue with scattered white clouds. A few people are visible on the bridge and near the water’s edge. In the foreground, at the bottom right, a small boat with a single person inside floats near the ship.

In a cleanroom environment, two individuals wearing blue lab coats and hairnets are working around a large spacecraft. The spacecraft is covered in protective plastic sheeting and mounted on a white transport platform labelled with technical instructions.

In a cleanroom environment, a group of engineers wearing protective coats, gloves, and face masks are working on a large spacecraft component. The component is mounted on a white wheeled platform. The top of the spacecraft carries 26 cylindrical cameras. The workspace is surrounded by structural supports and white fabric walls, creating a clean and controlled environment.

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Reposted by Will Gater

UK Space Agency @ukspaceagency.bsky.social · 27d

The UK is playing a huge role in the mission, from leading on the science to the design and build of the camera electronics. 📸

Read more about the UK's involvement in the mission 👉 gov.uk/government/c...

An artist impression of Plato. Credit: OHB System

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Sep 7

Thanks, Rob!

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Sep 7

The umbral shadow slipping away as the Moon rises during tonight’s lunar eclipse. Photographed from Teignmouth, Devon. #lunareclipse

A photograph of the Moon rising over a seascape. A wave-filled horizon and a golden glitter path from the overexposed Moon fills the bottom two thirds of the frame. Above sits the Moon’s disc, itself above thin wisps of colourful clouds scattering its light. The coppery-red colour of the Earth’s umbral shadow appears on the right of the Moon’s disc while the overexposed portion of the disc on the left appears as a thick, glowing crescent.

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Reposted by Will Gater

Mary McIntyre @marymcintyreastro.bsky.social · Aug 13

Here are the track-stacks from our #GMN #UKMON #MeteorCameras from overnight 12/13 Aug 2025. Despite the moonlight, they captured so many #meteors! Most of them are #Perseids but there are new Kappa Cygnids + sporadics. Dotted lines are aircraft #Perseids2025 #MeteorShower

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Aug 12

Despite it being a poor year for the #Perseid meteor shower with the very bright Moon up all night, still worth popping out for a look. We’ve just seen an incredible Perseid fireball across about 30° of sky with a highly structured persistent train that lingered for a good 10 seconds. #Perseids

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Reposted by Will Gater

UK Space Agency @ukspaceagency.bsky.social · Jul 14

With 14,000+ satellites orbiting the Earth, the risk of collision and re-entry is rising, making space security vital. 🌍 🛰️

Discover how the National Space Operations Centre is safeguarding UK space interests as it celebrates its first anniversary. 👉 space.blog.gov.uk/2025/07/11/u...

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jul 10

#NoctilucentClouds last night as seen from South Devon. Haytor on Dartmoor is visible silhouetted on the horizon.

A photo of noctilucent clouds over a silhouetted landscape. The background sky has a strong twilight gradient from yellow-orange near the horizon to pastel blue at the top. The noctilucent clouds stand out as bright white-blue tendrils.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jul 9

A photo of the rear screen of a DSLR showing a noctilucent cloud display over a silhouetted countryside landscape.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jul 9

Really nice #NoctilucentCloud display visible from South Devon currently. Not particularly bright and only ~5° above horizon but some nice structure on camera.

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Reposted by Will Gater

ESO @eso.org · Jul 8

We have images of a new interstellar visitor! ☄️ 👀

Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third object ever spotted coming from beyond our Solar System.

In this timelapse, our VLT observes the comet move across the sky — just two days after its discovery!

https://www.eso.org/public/videos/potw2527a/ 🔭 🧪

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Reposted by Will Gater

Leigh Fletcher @leighfletcher.bsky.social · Jul 7

Amplifying the call from Marc Delcroix and co. over the weekend: the team are looking to verify/refute a potential impact on #Saturn on July 5th, 09:00-09:15UT. Videos taken by amateur observers at that time might hold the key. This 📸 credit: Mario Rana

pvol2.ehu.eus/pvol2/news/v...

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jul 5

☄️ Analysis by UK Meteor Network experts suggests a bright fireball meteor dropped meteorites over the Scottish Highlands on Thursday night [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8ze2vnz38o.amp].

Here’s the UK Fireball Alliance guidance on what to do if you think you’ve found a meteorite:

An infographic titled ‘What to do if you think you’ve found a meteorite’. The text reads:

First check to see if the object has a dark outer crust. If it does, it may be a meteorite. Please do not touch it with your bare hands as this may contaminate the sample. Do not touch the object with a magnet.
Next, document the location of the object. You can use Google Maps on your phone to get your longitude & latitude. Record as many decimal places as you can.
Make notes about each piece you find. Please take pictures of both the object and the area around it (ideally with a ruler in the image).
Place the object into a clean, dry sandwich bag or clean aluminium foil, ideally using clean tongs. Close & seal the bag with sellotape. Then place this bag inside another sandwich bag. Keep the sample dry.
Report the sample to the UK Fireball Alliance via www.ukfall.org.uk

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jul 5

The IMO calendar is a great resource and an excellent antidote to the online hype & misinformation about meteor showers.

We’ll have Moon-free nights for the Perseids & Geminids in 2026, so fingers crossed for clear skies! ☄️

Steve Brown - astronomy and astrophotography @sjbastro.bsky.social · Jul 5

For all #meteor enthusiasts: The 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar Is Here www.imo.net/the-2026-met... #Astronomy #Space

The 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar Is Here | IMO

We are pleased to announce the release of the Meteor Shower Calendar for 2026, an essential resource for anyone interested in observing or studying meteor activity over the coming year. As in previous...

www.imo.net

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Reposted by Will Gater

UK Space Agency @ukspaceagency.bsky.social · Jul 3

We rely on satellites for our daily lives - from sat-nav to weather forecasts - and they are at risk from space debris. 🌍🛰️

We have launched a tender for the UK’s first mission to remove defunct satellites from orbit, and safeguard vital services. 🛰️📱

Read more 👉 www.gov.uk/government/n...

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Reposted by Will Gater

David Rankin @asteroiddave.bsky.social · Jul 2

FACT THREAD on New Interstellar Object #A11pl3Z

This story unfolded pretty fast yesterday for a few reasons. The object was discovered on July 1st UTC by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS team. A #NASA funded survey at the University of Hawaii. atlas.fallingstar.com 🔭🧪

Orbit diagram of interstellar object A11pl3Z

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jun 30

Last night we had a phenomenal display of noctilucent clouds over the UK with really striking structure & masses of embedded gravity waves. Grabbed these shots from a bedroom window with a DSLR & fast 135mm lens, which has ‘frozen’ a lot of the fine, filamentary, detail in the dynamic shapes/waves.

A photo of a noctilucent cloud display over silhouetted trees and rooftops. The NLCs appear as softly glowing blueish-white waves, filaments and bands filling the whole of the sky above the foreground. The embedded gravity waves have a delicate rippling appearance and cover much of the frame.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jun 29

Phenomenal, bright, gravity wave structures across the whole NW horizon up to ~20°. #NoctilucentClouds. If you’re in the UK look to the northern horizon now.

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Will Gater @willgater.bsky.social · Jun 29

Wonderful #NoctilucentCloud display emerging out of the twilight currently in South Devon. Almost overhead with lots of patches of embedded gravity wave structures. #NLCs

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